How to Hire a Construction Drone Provider
A practical guide to choosing the right drone partner for progress monitoring, earthworks, BIM comparison and inspections.
Hiring a drone provider for a listing, a roof or an insurance claim is quick when you know what to ask. The right provider has real property work to show, the credentials and insurance the job needs, and delivers the files you need on time.
1. Define the job
Decide whether you need marketing imagery (listing photos, video, twilight, virtual tour), a roof inspection or measurement, thermal imaging, or claims documentation — these are different skills and different deliverables.
2. Share the property details
Give the address or ZIP code, property type and size, access and any airspace near airports, and who will give owner consent for the flight.
3. Set deliverables and turnaround
List what you need back — edited stills, MLS-ready crops, video, annotated PDF roof report, thermal images, claims pack or tour link — and when you need it.
4. Check credentials and insurance
Ask for the FAA Part 107 certificate, liability insurance and, for written roof or claims reports, professional indemnity or E&O cover. Ask to see a sample from a similar property.
5. Compare quotes on the same scope
Send every provider the same brief through our quote form, and ask about exclusions such as travel, weather re-flights and extra edits.
Questions to Ask Every Provider
- • Can we see real work from similar properties (not stock images)?
- • What is your Part 107 certificate number, and can you send your insurance certificate?
- • How many final images or what report will we receive, and how quickly?
- • How do you handle owner consent, neighbour privacy and nearby airspace?
- • For claims work: do you keep original geotags, timestamps and unedited files?
- • For thermal work: is the camera radiometric, and who interprets the images?
Red Flags to Watch For
- • No portfolio or sample deliverables available
- • Cannot specify the accuracy of their outputs
- • No professional processing software mentioned
- • Quoting significantly below market rates
- • No insurance documentation available
- • No site safety documentation or experience on active job sites